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baby puzzle posted:So what do I cook when cooking is the absolute last thing I want to do? Here's the first hit for "easy lunch recipe": http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/awesome-easy-work-lunches#.kvdpOPvZR it is 27 of the most complicated looking things I could ever imagine trying to make. Nothing puts me into a bad mood like wanting to eat something other than fast food or frozen pizza for once but coming up blank. What type of thing is it you'd like to have in the first place? Do you not like sandwiches? Like, at some level you'll actually have to do work in order to make something unless you buy it premade. Or just spend a day every four on food prep and while it lasts you can just set your premade stuff together with minimal effort. A lot of people don't like the prep time, so you can do it in advance.
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Mar 7, 2015 20:47
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baby puzzle posted:So what do I cook when cooking is the absolute last thing I want to do? Here's the first hit for "easy lunch recipe": http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/awesome-easy-work-lunches#.kvdpOPvZR it is 27 of the most complicated looking things I could ever imagine trying to make. Nothing puts me into a bad mood like wanting to eat something other than fast food or frozen pizza for once but coming up blank. My go to is always sandwiches.
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Mar 7, 2015 20:50
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I hate bread. I just bought pre-formed hamburger patties and squash that is already chopped and seasoned. Good enough I guess! The problem with any recipe is that my kitchen has nothing in it and more than half of anything I ever buy goes bad and gets thrown out (like bread!) Is there a resource for what kinds of "stuff" I should try to keep?
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Mar 7, 2015 21:01
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baby puzzle posted:I hate bread. I just bought pre-formed hamburger patties and squash that is already chopped and seasoned. Good enough I guess! How do you hate bread?
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Mar 7, 2015 21:30
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baby puzzle posted:I hate bread. I just bought pre-formed hamburger patties and squash that is already chopped and seasoned. Good enough I guess! This all keeps going back to "what do you like to eat." Clearly you're frustrated and you've got some "I don't know what I want but it's not this and it's not that stuff either" going on. All of those salads (wheatberry couscous bean pasta quinoa whatever salads) in that buzzfeed article you linked aren't just you buying a fuckload of ingredients for ONE meal--you buy that fuckload, and make a bunch of meals, lunches for a week or more. More importantly, you buy the fuckload and then you vary the seasonings and ingredients. Swap out greek stuff like feta and cucumber and add in fresh tomato and parmesean to make it italian. Make some plain noodles and throw on edamame and peanut sauce and cabbage one day and leftover chicken curry the next. That kind of stuff. When you get sick of quinoa, the same treatment works on pasta shells. When you get sick of pasta shells, go to beans and rice. When you get sick of that, couscous. Rotate through a basic starchy component like those and then add in whatever extra stuff you like--nuts, dried fruits, cheese, fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, and then dress it however you like, either with bottled dressing (salsa and sour cream on beans and rice, for example) or with olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar. That'll be cheap and very, very easy; it's almost entirely chopping. The only cooking is the starchy base--couscous takes 5 minutes to cook, pasta takes 10, if you buy canned beans you don't even have to turn on the stove. And then your shopping list is pretty straightforwardly divided into a couple categories: 1. starchy base / 2. flavorful thing to flavor and add variety to starchy base / 3. dressing / sauce / topping. And if you hate all of those ideas, the main question here should be: What are you eating when you go out and eat fast food, and what can you make for yourself that's as good or better than that? Do you want something warm or will something room temp / cold do it for you? If you're toting these lunches to work, do you have a microwave available? A toaster oven / regular oven? edit: and keep in mind that if your main complaint is I WANT MEAT and throwing some ham or bacon in your salad isn't enough, then you are absolutely going to have to do real cooking. Easy proteins that cook in a short period of time (all seafood including fish, chicken breast, lean pork like tenderloin and chop, steak, etc) do not reheat well, so you'd be stuck making longer braised items like pulled pork, brisket, country ribs, dark meat chicken, and the like--which are all delicious, but they require some effort and time. Nicol Bolas fucked around with this message at 21:55 on Mar 7, 2015 |
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Mar 7, 2015 21:38
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Lunch at work is a can of tuna, an apple, and a protein shake, which I am fine with. Breakfast is also easy for me for some reason. I just eat bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns (and a protein shake). Its dinner, and lunch on weekends that really gets me. I guess bread makes me think of terrible sandwiches?
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Mar 7, 2015 21:58
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If you really despise making dinner, just start making things that are super wet which tend to reheat very well. Braised meat, soups, stews, curries, etc are all things you can make on the weekend and eat for a week.
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Mar 7, 2015 22:01
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baby puzzle posted:Lunch at work is a can of tuna, an apple, and a protein shake, which I am fine with. Breakfast is also easy for me for some reason. I just eat bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns (and a protein shake). Okay, that's actually a lot easier; linking to the "27 easy lunches" thing made me think the issue was lunches. If you're just looking for dinners, allow me to suggest you shop by two categories: protein and vegetable side. Grab a couple of proteins (some fish like salmon, a steak, some pork chops, chicken legs) and a couple of vegetables (asparagus, kale, spinach, whole carrots, etc) and you have a bunch of dinners. Roast the chicken legs and the carrots together. Sear the poo poo out of your steak and saute up the asparagus or the kale with some garlic in the same pan while the steak is resting. (See the steak thread for advice on this.) Make sure your salmon is scaled, and then pan-fry it and put it on top of some lightly dressed spinach. That's how I cook 90% of the time, and it's pretty easy and simple; mix and match your sides for whatever you're in the mood for, and season things with various spices to switch things up. Smear your salmon with curry paste. Roast your chicken and carrots with chipotle and oregano. Most of the time you can get it done in one pan. And if you're feeling fancy, you can always whip up a sauce, like a bearnaise to go with your asparagus.
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Mar 7, 2015 22:06
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Ok. Thank you for the ideas. I think that article really messed with me. I should avoid this kind of "food porn" that makes everything look so difficult. I actually have a bunch of soup in the fridge that I made weeks ago but it is terrible and I am wondering if should endure the mess that would be digging it out of the tupperware to throw it away, or if I should just sacrifice my tupperware and toss it along with the soup. If I am going to make a weeks worth of food then it needs to be RIDICULOUSLY loving GOOD, or I will not eat it and it will be a huge waste. I have made this mistake too many times already.
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Mar 7, 2015 22:14
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Can you post what kind of soup it was and what was so terrible about it?
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Mar 7, 2015 22:18
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It sounds like you're going to be best off with the protein/vegetable plan. I'm incredibly loving lazy like 90% of the time and doing a hunk of meat with some simple seasonings, then tossing in some par-boiled veg to finish in the pan beside the meat is super easy and offers a lot of variety. I'm going to say the biggest helper to you is going to be planning meals a few days/ a week in advance. If you have fresh stuff on hand I find it's easier to get to cooking. Instead of "ok poo poo i forgot to defrost the meat this morning and I have no fresh veg, what the hell do i eat" it's "I have chicken, salmon, asparagus, green beans, and broccoli that need to be eaten in the next few days, which two do I want". Also, simple soups should be pretty easy, you should post what the soup was and why it sucked, and we can help!
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Mar 7, 2015 22:29
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You can use the microwave to steam your veggies very quickly, while you fry your protein. Or you can poach your protein together with the vegetables in the microwave.
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Mar 7, 2015 22:37
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Another good, quick and easy one is baked chicken thighs. Just toss a couple thighs, some spices that you like, some garlic and some salt and pepper in a plastic bag with some olive or other type of oil and toss the chicken to coat it then bake them for like 30-40 minutes at 350 or until they reach 170F internal temperature. You can make a simple salad or roast some chopped up potatoes or something right next to the chicken for a side. If you want to get fancy you can sear the chicken skin side down in a pan before putting it in the oven for 25 minutes or so. A slow cooker might also be something to look into, you can make really nice stews and pot roasts and it's dead easy and will feed you for a while.
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Mar 7, 2015 22:40
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SymmetryrtemmyS posted:That really depends on what you want to do. If you are just going to make pico de gallo and whipped cream, you might as well get an immersion blender with a processor attachment. On the other hand, if you're going to make nut butters and bread dough, you'll need something more powerful - I recommend a Magimix in that case. Falafel mixes, hummus, relishes, that sort of thing. I already have Kitchenaid's 2-speed immersion blender; it kicks rear end. I'll check the Cuisinarts, thanks.
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Mar 7, 2015 23:49
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I'm going to eat some leftover short rib for dinner since the SO is out of town. It isn't a lot. Maybe quarter of a pound. I know ideally I should braise it but I'm not going to do that. If I cook it in cast iron can I just treat it like a steak, or what? Other ideas?
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Mar 8, 2015 00:34
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Mister Macys posted:Falafel mixes, hummus, relishes, that sort of thing. I already have Kitchenaid's 2-speed immersion blender; it kicks rear end. I'll check the Cuisinarts, thanks. It doesn't sound like you need a very powerful processor. I would probably get a cheapo model, to be honest.
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Mar 8, 2015 00:42
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I have a lot of appliances, actually. I have a mixer, blender, crock pot, dutch oven, cast iron pan, etc. I like to buy things to try and motivate me to cook. The soup I made was a gumbo. Making the roux wasn't that hard, It was kinda neat actually. I think the problem was that I didn't put nearly enough vegetables in it, and it came out very sparse and oily. The only thing that tasted good in it was the sausage I used which was already seasoned of course, so I just picked out and ate the sausage in the one bowl that I did eat. I'd rather make one serving worth of food. I was thinking about trying the gumbo again but making it for one. I guess I could make a bunch of roux and save it. Edit: and as for what I actually like to eat (I don't actually like fast food): I like indian food, cajun food, italian style pizza, sushi, good burgers, basically a lot of stuff that I don't think I could make. baby puzzle fucked around with this message at 01:35 on Mar 8, 2015 |
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Mar 8, 2015 01:14
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Any recommendations for a honey sauce for Chinese style honey chicken? While I am looking for a normal (not spicy) kind of sauce getting a spicy version as well would be nice. If it matters any I'm coating the chicken in cornstarch and frying that, and serving it on rice.
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Mar 8, 2015 02:36
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Can I get some tips on making refried beans from scratch? I've been experimenting with them, soaking pinto beans overnight, cooking them down for a few hours, then frying them in lard with a little milk. The flavor is terrific and I've had great success using them in quesadillas and torta sandwiches. My issue is the beans ended up kind of dense and chunky, they are not well suited for dipping or for mixing with rice. I've seen contradictory advice about how to prepare the beans after initially cooking them. Last time I used an immersion blender to turn the beans to paste before frying them, I've seen other sources that recommend mashing the beans into paste with a wooden spoon as you fry them. What's the best technology for smoother/creamier beans? Any other tips?
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Mar 8, 2015 03:20
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h_double posted:Can I get some tips on making refried beans from scratch? Save some of the cooking liquid, and stir it in a little bit at a time after frying if you want a softer texture.
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Mar 8, 2015 03:28
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I usually spoon out beans from the beany liquid into hot fat and mash them in the pan with the closest mashing implement. I always reserve the bean cooking liquid to add back in during/at the end to control the consistency. If you cook your beans in sufficient liquid you can achieve any texture you'd like. Usually I do an initial coarse mashing with a potato masher, then go in with a fork or a finer masher while it's cooking down and add back in the bean liquid to keep it the consistency I want.
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Mar 8, 2015 03:30
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So a while back I was given a container of Stevia by my mom, and I've hated it with a passion ever since. It's got this weird metallic taste and is just rather unpleasant in general, even when mixed with stuff in random baking or desserts or cereal or smoothies et cetera. Until I put it in my hot tea recently. Then it just tasted sweet. And then I realized that apparently for me it tasting decent was heat activated. I've since been making simple syrup with it and it has been working out wonderfully. I can even use it with cold stuff once it's been hot dissolved. What a strange thing. I mean, I still prefer sugar in my space, but now I don't have to throw out a rather large container of Stevia. Until I learn it gives me cancer or something, I guess. Drifter fucked around with this message at 04:50 on Mar 8, 2015 |
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Mar 8, 2015 04:47
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Huh. I will have to try that. I have a similar issue with most sugar alternatives.
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Mar 8, 2015 07:43
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Comic posted:Huh. I will have to try that. I have a similar issue with most sugar alternatives. It's kinda disgusting, right? They all taste like sweetened baking soda normally.
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Mar 8, 2015 08:14
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Most sugar alternatives have maltodextrin added because they're insanely sweet and need to be cut in order to be roughly cup for cup equivalent to sugar. Maybe it's the maltodextrin that's bothering you guys? I don't notice it myself. Stevia is different because it tastes like cotton candy to me.
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Mar 8, 2015 08:50
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baby puzzle posted:I have a lot of appliances, actually. I have a mixer, blender, crock pot, dutch oven, cast iron pan, etc. I like to buy things to try and motivate me to cook. Hmmm. Did you use beef stock and a ton of spices?
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Mar 8, 2015 09:11
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baby puzzle posted:and as for what I actually like to eat (I don't actually like fast food): I like indian food, cajun food, italian style pizza, sushi, good burgers, basically a lot of stuff that I don't think I could make. Sounds like you're not that picky of an eater. If you were picky, we'd have to kill you. Pizza and Indian are both very easy and very easy as long as you have bulk spices available, respectively, if you're into learning more about them. I make very good pizza all the time using homemade dough, and it's very simple if you want my technique. And Dino has lots of Indian recipes posted all over GWS, including in his ebook cookbook. Definitely worth a look if you like Indian, and Indian reheats incredibly well for lunch the next day. Nicol Bolas fucked around with this message at 18:24 on Mar 8, 2015 |
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Mar 8, 2015 10:30
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baby puzzle posted:I have a lot of appliances, actually. I have a mixer, blender, crock pot, dutch oven, cast iron pan, etc. I like to buy things to try and motivate me to cook. If cooking is the absolutely last thing you want to do, making single servings is generally a terrible idea. It's usually just as much work as making 4-8 servings. I usually make a stew of some sort and freeze it in single servings (or half servings for lunch).
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Mar 8, 2015 10:46
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I got me a giant, fatty porkbutt for cheap at a local meat sale. Anyone got a good rub recipe suitable for, say, cooking that fucker for 10 hours on 200 degrees in a nesco countertop roaster. No sauce will be added after shredding if it matters.
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Mar 8, 2015 16:51
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Go for anything from 14 to 24 hours. Season lightly with salt, pepper, garlic. Mame sure the fat side is up. Avoid any temptation to open the lid until done.
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Mar 8, 2015 17:38
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Garlic powder or coat the thing in crushed or minced garlic?
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Mar 8, 2015 17:38
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Either. What I was really trying to get across is that you can and should use a lot of time on this. The slower the better for fatty pork.
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Mar 8, 2015 18:29
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Just bought a whole duck from Costco, wife wants some type of orange sauce to go with it. What kind of recipe should I use? Would this be good? http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/classic-duck-a-lorange-recipe.html e: looks like this recipe might be better? http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/duck-a-l-orange/print Fozzy The Bear fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Mar 8, 2015 |
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Mar 8, 2015 21:58
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Fozzy The Bear posted:Just bought a whole duck from Costco, wife wants some type of orange sauce to go with it. What kind of recipe should I use? I'd always go with Pepin. Instruction 5 sounds like you're supreme-ing the oranges.
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Mar 8, 2015 22:42
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How can I cook (not frying  ) some chicken drums and breasts?
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Mar 8, 2015 23:49
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goodness posted:How can I cook (not frying
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Mar 8, 2015 23:55
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bowmore posted:In the oven? You sold me!
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Mar 9, 2015 00:02
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Got a wild hair up my rear end and decided to make Cuban pastelitos de carne (flaky, meat filled pastries for the sadly uninitiated). I lost track of the filling recipe I used to use, so I went searching and found a recipe from a site run by three Miami Cuban-Americans. Their filling recipe was 100 years old from some grandma in Oriente, so it must be legit, right? I'm just some half Cuban rear end in a top hat who can't even speak Spanish so what do I know? For a pound of ground beef, the recipe calls for a tsp of oregano, a tsp of cumin, a tsp of allspice, and TWO tsp cinnamon. Big mistake. Huge. It's too sweet and too cinnamony. I didn't even add any sugar. I added more of the cumin and oregano, more tomato paste and beef broth, more garlic, more onions--still the cinnamon rises over everything else. The filling doesn't taste bad, exactly, but it's not the pastelitos of my childhood. The filling should be mostly savory to balance the sweet glazed pastry. After one pack of puff pastry I still have about half the batch of filling leftover. Can I dial back the cinnamon somehow and rescue my next batch of pastelitos?
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Mar 9, 2015 02:14
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my dog boyfriend!! posted:Got a wild hair up my rear end and decided to make Cuban pastelitos de carne (flaky, meat filled pastries for the sadly uninitiated). I lost track of the filling recipe I used to use, so I went searching and found a recipe from a site run by three Miami Cuban-Americans. Their filling recipe was 100 years old from some grandma in Oriente, so it must be legit, right? I'm just some half Cuban rear end in a top hat who can't even speak Spanish so what do I know? Three Guys from Miami are legit, but some of their recipes are weird to me (sup Cubano). I don't use cinnamon at all and doing so sounds vaguely sacrilegious. Pound of ground beef, a quarter of a green bell pepper chopped, fresh chopped garlic, a bay leaf, some cumin, some kosher salt, some oregano, half a sweet onion choppe, some chopped olives, some sultanas. Sautee the veg in olive oil in one pan, brown the grown beef in another. When veg is softened and meat is browned, add together. Then throw in tomato sauce and dry cooking sherry (vino seco). Put in your spices. Let it simmer for awhile. After the tomato sauce boils down, add some more, then let it simmer again. Repeat again if you want a really strong tomato flavor (if you want the strong flavor, you may use about one large tin or glass bottle of sauce. If not, you may use as little as half that. Rega is a good brand). Throw in your sultanas (or raisins) and chopped olives when you're ready, let it simmer a while longer until the sultanas plump. Bam. Picadillo. Remove the bay leaf, stuff it in some empenada dough and fry em up. Do amounts to taste. Message me if you have any questions. My recipe is also from the Oriente. Only the part of the provence that knows how to cook, because yeah, cinnamon and allspice is friggin weird. Their recipe for tres leches is killer tho. TL/DR: I have no idea how to rescue what you have, but there's a recipe to try it again with next time. edited because I keep remembering steps FoxTerrier fucked around with this message at 02:46 on Mar 9, 2015 |
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Mar 9, 2015 02:20
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goodness posted:How can I cook (not frying Boil it. Ko Shui Ji this is a tasty recipe, but there are others with some variation that are probably also delicious. Modify times for the breasts. Bake it. Ethiopian-spiced Chicken Mainly it's the berbere spice mix that does it, but it's pretty simple, and it's drat tasty. Again, modify times for the chicken breast.
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Mar 9, 2015 02:32
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